Awakening Africa's Sleeping Giant
By
Although hailed by the international community as Africa's good news following years of military mismanagement and corruption, Nigeria's domestic
public opinion these days indicates otherwise. News of tragic events in Africa's most populous nation makes frequent headlines in the international media. The
simple explanation for the negative trend is to blame the current administration for being ineffective. Yet, rational thinking raises questions about the
fairness of faulting the current 3-year old administration for the cumulative effect of years of negligence. Let's not forget that this sleeping giant is not
only complex and of gargantuan proportions, but has been put to sleep for quite a while. To awaken her, we must proceed with caution, do it right and keep
prodding it to stay awake.
The ammunition dump explosion in Lagos is a good example of the accumulation of negligence in Nigeria. The blowout occurred before preventive measures were put
in place, even though funds had been appropriated to address the catastrophe that had long been waiting to happen. As hundreds of people plunged to their deaths
in that treacherous swamp, it was easy to forget the direct causes. The administration has since launched a wide-scale investigation into what triggered the
arms depot explosion, promising to publish the results of the inquiry and punish the culprits duly. That is the responsible thing to do, but could more have
been done?
Though the legislative framework is in place to track and deter would-be offenders, the true challenge Nigeria's leaders face with corruption is how to
effectively eradicate this widespread socio-economic disease so deeply rooted in Nigerian culture. For a long time, corruption has been a way of life, a state
of mind, a by-product of having no equitable system of resource distribution and the direct result of zero checks and balances. At least until now. Now, the
battle is convincing a people who have known no other way, to uphold the virtues of living a corruption-free life. The solution is to provide Nigerians with an
alternative system that captures their imaginations, fills their stomachs and stays their hands. But how does a government pull that off in a four-year term?
Between 1976 and January 1999, not a single case of corruption was persecuted in Nigeria's courts. In June 2000, the anti-corruption bill entered into force; in
September of the same year, the Independent Commission on Corruption and other related Offences was inaugurated; and in May 2001 the infrastructure for the
commission was put into place. Since then, about 15 senior level officials have been persecuted for corruption, among them state officials, an insurance
magnate, perpetrators of university fraud, immigration officials for accepting payoffs from US businessmen, a high court judge, a chairman of local government,
and the Ondo State Commissioners of Finance and Justice, respectively. Currently, about 400 cases are under investigation, and pending court hearings. The
capacity of the commission is limited, with only 14 investigators - but plans are underway to increase them to 40. Perhaps, the most positive aspects of the
clamp down on corruption in Nigeria is the cross-agency collaboration to combat the social ill, not to mention the commission's leadership under the Honourable
Justice Muhammed Mustapha Akanbi, considered a paragon of human virtue and integrity.
Truth is, the corruption art form at high levels is a sophisticated, subtle and almost untraceable game of intrigue, complicity and daring. To convict, the
government needs loads of naked evidence. So it would be near impossible to bring all the worst offenders to task. Unless Nigerian officials - those whose
indulgence is bleeding national coffers dry - suddenly develop a conscience of moral righteousness, no leadership in Nigeria, can effectively track, punish or
stave off corruption in high places.
Another heritage of Nigeria's years of neglect is the poor security situation, partly due to the under funded, under-performing police service. The population
of 120 million is protected by a police force of 120,000, nation-wide-translating to one officer per million Nigerians. Therefore, the opportunistic
proliferation of well-armed robbers, who turned to a life of crime for lack of adequate employment opportunities, comes as no surprise. Without delving into the
murky depths of history for root causes of the religious and ethnic tensions that sometimes culminate in violence and massive loss of lives, one must
acknowledge that it would take time and political will to bring about lasting reconciliation among those groups.
The most measurable indicator of the performance of Nigeria's current democratic leadership is the crumbling economic situation. The impact of years of
corruption, mismanagement and lack of accountability would not disappear from one administration to the next. For the ordinary citizen, if democracy puts less
food in his belly than he got during the years of military dictatorship, then heck, bring on the military! It is that simple. Many other Africans frustrated
with their leaders sometimes have perversely expressed nostalgia for European colonial rule. Unfortunately, there is a price to pay for freedom and democracy -
sacrifice, time and the active involvement of each citizen. Rightfully so, those nations seem ridiculously incongruous and abstract to the ordinary Nigerian
whose basic needs remain unmet.
Plurality of political activity is thriving in Nigeria like never before. In an unprecedented move acknowledged even by his harshest critics, President Obasanjo
summoned all political parties poised to participate in the next elections (2003) for a retreat to discuss differences. There, the government pledged to condemn
any acts of violence or actions that may taint the election results, and promised to increase Nigeria's police force by a 40,000 head count annually to contain
any unrest during the elections. Also, an Independent Electoral Commission was set up to outline a code of conduct to guide the activities of all political
parties.
Nigeria's problems are indeed of giant proportions, but they are not insurmountable. Obasanjo managed to preserve Nigeria's union and he just may have more
miracles up his sleeve. Constant criticism and sensationalism would not help this government do a better job. A combination of constructive feedback,
participation, financial assistance and a healthy dose of patience and sacrifice by the Nigerian people is the potion that could cause Africa's sleeping giant
to awaken gently but surely. With its huge natural resources and large vibrant market, Nigeria's success is crucial for Africa's progress. We have a long way to
go, but perhaps we should ask ourselves where Nigeria would be today without the restoration of democracy, imperfect as it is.
April 2002